Bradford 1

Hounslow & Ealing 0

Bradford had to change their tactics for their last National Women's League match of the season, but still came away with all three points.

The game-plan alteration came about because of the absence of regular sweeper Hannah Linforth.

Instead of playing a back four, Bradford opted for a back three and a midfield of four.

And it proved an effective switch, Ealing rarely causing the Bradford defence problems.

Left defender Ali Bicker had an outstanding match for Bradford, and central defender Charlotte Fisher was composure itself.

The hosts kept possession well from the back through midfield, but their strikers found it difficult to penetrate key areas and create clear-cut goal-scoring chances.

Midway through the first half, however, Bradford had a golden opportunity to take the lead.

In an attack down the right, Nikki Woodhead ran the ball along the backline and set up Lindsey Inman on the penalty spot.

However, the Ealing keeper got across to save the flick. Bradford had two other chances before half-time, one when Jill Atkins broke from midfield and shot wide, and the other when a penalty corner strike from Joanne Holroyd rebounded from the keeper, but her team-mates just failed to regain possession.

In the second half, Brad-ford rotated their strikers regularly using rolling substitutions in a bid to unsettle the visitors' defence.

And this bid to break the stalemate worked midway through the period, young Fiona Harland getting the goal.

Receiving a cross from the right on her reverse stick side, she struck the ball with a sweep shot.

It wasn't hit cleanly, but bounced awkwardly off the water-based pitch to wrong-foot the keeper and give Bradford a deserved 1-0 advantage.

From that point onwards, the hosts were never really in danger of losing their lead.

But they did have to survive the last five minutes with ten players, Fisher receiving a yellow card after contesting the award of a penalty corner following her crucial tackle to spoil a dangerous late break by Ealing in the right of the circle.

Atkins dropped back to central defender for the remainder of the match to ensure that Bradford maintained their composure.

The victory took Bradford above Hounslow and Ealing in the table.